SmartQ X7 review

[andropos]

Latest tablet from SmartQ with top specs is the SmartQ X7, and is another nice alternative to the subsidized Nexus 7 like the ViewSonic N710 i reviewed earlier. The X7 gets it right where Nexus 7 does not and you may be asking why would anyone buy the X7 over Nexus 7, here are few points: Dual cam, 16GB internal storage, microSD slot, HDMI and 2GB RAM, you are not living in US.

I had 2 days with the SmartQ X7 and will share my experiences here, revisit this post as i will keep this updated.









The good

• High-res display, 1280 X 800 pixels
• 2GB LPDDR2 RAM
• Slim design
• Dual-cam
• Pre-rooted
• Good firmware support
• GPS / Bluetooth / FM radio and transmitter

The bad

• Cam only 2MP
• Slightly too large frame around the screen
• Expensive
• No USB charhing
• Chinese apps preloaded (can be removed)

SmartQ X7 is designed and manufactured by SmartDevices Inc:
SmartQ

Review sample provided by HOTMID:
HOTMID - Hot Android Tablets from China HOTMID.com


Hardware


SmartQ X7 Specification

• Operating System Google Android 4.1（Jelly Bean）
• CPU TI OMAP4470 Dual-core Processor
• Frequency 1.5GHz
• Memory 2GB LPDDRII RAM
• Storage 16GB eMMC Built-in flash memory
• Micro SD(TF) card slot
• Function Hardware 1080P video decoding
• 3D graphics acceleration
• HDMI video output
• 2 MP front and rear dual cameras
• FM radio receiver and transmitter
• Connectivity IEEE 802.11 b/g/n WiFi network
• Bluetooth3.0 BLE+EDR
• USB 2.0 high-speed OTG port
• Sensor GPS(Global Positioning System)
• Three-axis accelerometer
• Audio 3.5mm standard stereo headphone jack
• High-quality loudspeaker
• Microphone
• Screen 7 inch 1280 x 800 IPS screen
• Capacitive multi-touch touch screen
• Battery 4200mAH Built-in Li-poly battery
• Dimensions 200.6mm (length) x 127.2mm (W) x 9.5mm (thickness)

Only 9.5mm thickness at its thickest point.







All ports are located on one side, from left: microSD card slot, microSD, mini HDMI, AC port, 3.5mm earphone plug.

Display and sound




One of the most expensive parts on a tablet device is the display and SmartQ dis not want to disappoint us on this point. The X7 has a 1280 x 800 IPS panel and the screen is very bight even at very low brightness setting, colours are vibrant and it has a good contrast from all viewing angles. Text, photos and HD movies look great.

Someone will hate me for this, but i have to confess that comparing to "the on", the display on Nexus 7 had less contract and bleak colours, i maybe had a bad unit at hand but i was very surprised how mediocre the IPS screen was on the Nexus 7.

In my opinion the SmartQ X7 has a important advantage with the great looking display.


When it comes to the built-in speaker the power and quality of the sounds is is at best average or maybe worse compared to other t-inch tablets i have tested. This due to its slim design, but adding a second speaker would not rise the cost but add more volume, better keep a pair of earphones with you for better movie and game experience.


Performance and battery life



Video playback

During video playback the battery lasted 9 hours and 14 min, from 100% to 4%.

[andropos]

Video review by Onetrack





Software

The X7 comes preloaded with Android 4.1.2, and the latest firmware version is at the time of writing V1.1 but have some compatibility issues with Google Play store. I have made a custom ROM based on V1.1 which solves the Play store issue, English by default and more.

[ROM] SmartQ X7 Jelly Bean COMod

















Camera

Pricing and comparison





Found issues and suggestions

• Internal mic noise, effects the voice search function
• Add font size option under Display
• Set the battery alert lever to a lower value (5%)

[BamaPanda]

Sweet looking tablet.

How is the Hotmid site for reliability and such? The price they show ...249, is 50.00 under Merimobiles.

That is quite a bit of difference for the same tab, and they both look to have it in stock.

Wow!

[Onetrack]

Excellent. I have sprung for one of these bought with DHL shipping right from SmartQ's own site 277 shipped to Canada. Looking forward to the rest of your hands on. I notice you're using build 1.1 did it come flashed with this firmware update or did you do it?

Cheers

[andropos]

Sweet looking tablet.
How is the Hotmid site for reliability and such? The price they show ...249, is 50.00 under Merimobiles.
That is quite a bit of difference for the same tab, and they both look to have it in stock.
Wow!

I think the price is not a big difference if you add the shipping fee. I would say HOTMID is reliable and they are also now our sponsors.

Excellent. I have sprung for one of these bought with DHL shipping right from SmartQ's own site 277 shipped to Canada. Looking forward to the rest of your hands on. I notice you're using build 1.1 did it come flashed with this firmware update or did you do it?
Cheers

Let us know once you get it and what you think about the device. I will post benchmark and battery test later today.
Yes, i upgraded to latest firmware:
SmartQ SmartQ X7 Android4.1 V1.1

Bug fixes:
Improved GPS satellite capacity.
Improved audio problem of sonic in some cases.
Other problems are corrected.

[Onetrack]

Still waiting for mine to show up. I have a tracking number for HK DHL which doesn't appear to be valid (according to the DHL | Hong Kong | English express site) the tablet is marked as shipped so hopefully it shows.

SmartQ's tech support is pretty awesome, I asked them a question via email and got a good, proper, professional non-chinglish response in less than an hour that wasn't canned, it addressed my question and provided a readable answer.

So far so good.

[trung4]

I also ordered mine already, how long did it take for the tablet to come in for you?

[Onetrack]

Ordered mine on the 21st, its been processed and cleared customs.. took about 5 days for it to show up on the dhl hk site, has left hong kong now and is currently in transit, so just waiting for it to arrive. Hopefully should be no longer than a couple days.

[trung4]

I ordered mine on the 19th and I got it off of hotmid. They gave me a tracking number but i tried dhl hk and hong kong post but my tracking number doesn't work on either of those sites. I dont remember what kind of shipping I put, i think its just the standard one/cheapest one (not sure what it was). Thanks for the general idea though, of when to expect it

[Onetrack]

I ordered mine on the 19th and I got it off of hotmid. They gave me a tracking number but i tried dhl hk and hong kong post but my tracking number doesn't work on either of those sites. I dont remember what kind of shipping I put, i think its just the standard one/cheapest one (not sure what it was). Thanks for the general idea though, of when to expect it

No problem, the tracking number may not be for DHL unless you paid extra for that (I paid 28.00 extra for shipping for a grand total of 277 shipped) I would check your order and then you can see what shipping company the basic is. Funny you mention HotMid as HotMid and SmartQ seem like the same place (my order at buy.smartqme.com was processed and paid to hotmid according to paypal)